Maharashtra Village Of 1,500 Registers Over 27,000 ‘Births’ In 3 Months In Massive Cyber Fraud

Last Updated:December 18, 2025, 16:01 IST

Shendurusani village in Yavatmal reported 27,397 births in three months, exposing a massive cyber fraud.

After the incident came to light, the district health officer complained to the Yavatmal city police station. (Representational)

A small village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal has registered 27,397 births in just three months despite the village having a population of barely 1,500. The abnormal entries have stunned authorities and triggered probes into what officials are calling one of the biggest birth certificate scams in the state.

The shocking irregularities surfaced at Shendurusani gram panchayat in Arni tehsil during a special verification drive of delayed birth and death registrations conducted between September and November 2025. Officials were stunned to find birth figures wildly disproportionate to the village’s actual population, immediately triggering alarm bells.

What initially appeared to be a clerical error soon unravelled into a case of suspected large-scale cyber fraud, raising concerns over the integrity and security of Civil Registration System (CRS)—the digital platform used to record births and deaths.

According to preliminary probe, the CRS login credentials of the Shendurusani gram panchayat were found to be compromised. Authorities found that the CRS ID linked to the village was mapped to Mumbai, indicating that registrations were being entered remotely, completely bypassing local jurisdiction and verification mechanisms.

This breach allegedly enabled thousands of fraudulent birth entries to be uploaded into the system without the knowledge or involvement of local officials.

After the incident came to light, the district health officer complained to the Yavatmal city police station. The Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer, Mandar Patki, also set up an inquiry committee under the deputy CEO of the panchayat department.

After conducting an on-site inspection in Shendurusani village, the committee concluded that all 27,397 birth registrations and seven death entries were entirely outside the gram panchayat’s jurisdiction.

The authorities are now probing how the CRS ID was compromised and whether the fake registrations were used for identity fraud, government scheme benefits, or other illegal activities.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya visited the village on Wednesday and demanded a thorough probe. Talking to media, Somaiya said credentials of the gram panchayat’s computer operator appear to have been misused by someone.

He said that 99.99% of the names found in these records belong to people from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and nearby regions. “I have spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded that all these birth registration entries be cancelled," Somaiya said.

Police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. Investigators are now working to identify those behind the breach, trace the cyber trail, and assess the wider implications of the fraud.

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